“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:15-16
This morning, my pastor, Tim Campbell, shared a devotional via Facebook Live. It was such an encouragement to me that I wanted to share a few thoughts about it with you.
The book of James was written by Jesus’ half-brother. He wrote to help people in the early church overcome their fears. Many of the early Christians were fearful for their lives. James reminded them that they always have the ability to pray to God, and He is faithful to hear and help. He especially wanted them to remember to trust God in times of sickness. He encouraged the people to pray for the sick, to lift one another up in prayer to God, and He reminded them that the prayers of a faithful person were very effective.
Today, many people are fearful of the coronavirus. Precautions are being taken globally to stop the spread of covid-19, and those precautions have generated great fears in the people. We need to help alleviate those fears. How do we do that?
First, we must remind people that they can trust God. The Lord has not turned His back on us, in fact, it is just the opposite. He desires for each of us to be “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) He wants us to come boldly before His throne with whatever is on our hearts.(Hebrews 4:16)
Secondly, we must pray for those who are sick as well as for the families of those who have died from this virus. We need to pray for the health professionals that work with in the urgent care facilities, the hospitals, and the emergency response teams. We need to pray for one another, asking God for protection, for help, for strength, and for good health.
Thirdly, we need to encourage others in this difficult time. As believers, we have a reason to smile even when times are hard and frightening. Why? Because we know God controls it all, and we have 24/7 access to Him! God will take care of us all. He always has; He always will. We must share that with everyone for with God, there is hope!
For the complete devotional, please visit https://www.facebook.com/341062775868/videos/527131797993127/
Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
(from “God Will Take Care of You” by Civilla D. Martin)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
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When you are in the palm of God’s hand, you have nothing to fear.